Moving-picture machine



June 5, 1 923.

1,457,554 F. SEUFERT E 'r AL MOVING PICTURE MACHINE Filed Jan. 6, 1922 e Sheets-Shet 1 liweizivns: &' J

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F. SEUFERT ET AL June 5, 1923.

MOVING PI GTURE MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 6,192

I I mvnivrs W A TTORNE Y June 5, 1923.

F. SEUFERT ET AL MOVING PICTURE MACHINE Filed Jan. 6, 1922 Inn III 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jnuezzivns:

M? A TTORNEV June 5, 1923 1,457,554

F. SEUFERT ET AL MOVING PICTURE MACHINE Filed Jan. 6, 1922 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 f9" 6 if -]r2 5 6a a e f i in J a l4 :4; I 1 1 I 22 53 6 BY I j 'nrro mgy? Patented June 5, 1923.

MOVING-PICTURE MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRIEDRICH SEUFERT and HERMANN SEUFERT, citizens of Germany and the United States of America, respeo-,

tively, the former a resident of Munich,

Bavaria, Germany and the latter a resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State-of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Moving-Picture ing picture machines as at present used are efi'ected almost without any exception by mechanism known as maltese cross gear of various construction.

1 Notwithstanding. many attempts to improve the machine the entire elimination of coruscation of the projected pictures could not be eifected. There is also the drawback that by the use of the maltese cross mechanism the feeding of the film'is very noisy and, therefore, disturbing. Also an accurate adjustment of dislocated films is not very easy.

The object of this invention is to obviate the drawbacks mentioned.

In the accompanying drawings in which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts, Fig. 1 isa side elevation of .the machine; Fig. 2 a front elevation thereof; Fig. '3 a sectionon line F-F of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 a section on line ABCD of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 a section on line G-H of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 an elevation of the feeding ring 11 and disk 10; Fig. 7 a cross section of the ring 11 and disk 10; F ig. 8 a cross section on line J K of Fig.1; Fig. 9 a cross section on line LMNO of Fig. 1; Fig. 10 an elevationof a modified construction of the maand first to Figs. 19 inclusive the machine is constructed as follows The frame consists of two perpendicularly disposed metal plates 1, 2. In the plate 1 is rotatively borne a driving gear 36 (Figs. l5 and 9) adapted to be rotated by motor power Application filed January 6, 1922. Serial No. 527,521.

FRIEDRICH SEUFERT, 0F MUNICH, GERMANY, AND HERMANN 'SEUFERT, OF

BROOKLYN. NEW YORK.

or by hand. Meshing with said wheel is a smaller gear 37 which in turn meshes with a still smaller gear 88. F ixedto the shaft of said smallest gear is a fly wheel-39, which owing to the ratio selected will be caused to revolve with the speed required for the proper display of: the moving pictures. Mounted on the base plate 2 is a bracket 34 in which is supported coaxially withthe gear and fly wheel 39. a disk 52 having acrank, pin 52 engaged by an eccenter 33 formed at the end of a rod 32'. Pivotally supported in a bracket 26 igs. 1, 2 and 5) is a doublearmed lever 30 one end 31 whereof is pivotally connected to the rod-32,-while the opposite end is formed to a square casing 23. In this casing is mounted a slide 24 which can be adjusted by means ofa set screw 22. Pivoted centrally to said slide at onevend as at 25 is a ro-d29. Fixed at the rear of the plate 1 on the shaft 53 carrying the film drum 54 and extending through a vertical slot 13 of the plate 1 (Figs'.-,14) is a toothed disk 10 on the reduced rear part-of the cirvcumference of which is movably mounted a ring 11 (Figs. 6 and 7),- to which is fixed a rim 47 (Figs..24). The ring 11 and rim47 'aresecured to the disk 10 by means-of-a disk 48 so that these parts can-easily turn around the disk 10. The ring 11 is provided on one of its sides at two' or three places with flaring groove 49 (Fig. 6) extending tangentially relative to the circumference of the disk lOand open on the inner sides. In these grooves are mounted small rollers 50 actuated byv springs 51, and the diameter of which is somewhat larger than the w-idth of grooves 49'at their narrowest ends,'so that the rollers during the rotation of the ring will be allowed to become wedged or clamped in said ends against the disk 10 to couple the ring and said disk. .The ring 11 also has fixed in it a pin18 (Figs. 3, 6 and 8).

Bearing horizontally in parallel brackets 7 and 7 fixed to plate 1 are two vertically- 1 superposed small rods 35 of circular cross section on which are mounted slides 15 made semi-cylindrical, tubular or 'U-shapedand. somewhat shorter than the rods or the distanoe between the brackets 7, 7 90' that-the" about %of its entire length -(Figs. 2-and 3)".v

If the cross piece 17 is made U-shaped the open face thegeof directed toward the pin 18 is closed at its bottom about of its length. The pin 18 screwed into the ring 11 engages said opening of the cross piece 17 At the right hand there is a second cross piece 16 (Fig. 1) rigidly fixed to the members 15 and to' which the other end of the aforenamed rod 29 is pivotally connected as at 28, (Figs. 1 and 8). Fulcrumed at 20 to an arm 6 of a vertically movable slide or plate 6 is a double armed lever 14 (Figs. 1, 3 and 10). The upper arm of the lever is hook shaped and formed to a pawl and the lower arms bear on the cam 100 provided on the shaft carrying the driving gear 38 and fly wheel 39. The upper arm is actuated by a plate spring 19 (Fig. 1). When said gears revolve the lower arm will intermittently slide off and on the cam 100 and consequently raise the pawl of the upper arm of the lever 14 against the tension of the spring 19 from engagement with the teeth 12 of the disk 10 or permit it under pressure of the spring 19 to snap into the teeth 12 of the disk 10 and lock the latter against further rotation.

The reciprocatory movement of the rod 32 is transmitted by the lever 30 and rod 29 to the cross piece 16 and in turn to the slides 15 and the opposite connecting piece 17. When during the reciprocating movement of the rod 29 the cross piece 17 is moved in one direction, say forwardly, the pin 18 engaging the same is also displaced and the ring 11 is given a turn of 4; of a full revolution. During the rearward movement of the rod 29, the cross piece 17 will cause a movement of the ring 11 in the reverse direction. During this movement the rollers 50 become wedged in the narrow ends of the grooves 49 and couple said ring and disk 10 in consequence of which the pin 18 will carry with it also the disk 10 which at that moment has been released from the pawl of the lever 14. This movement like the opposite movement of the ring 11 occurs very rapidly. The drum 54 fixed on the shaft 53 carrying the disk 10 will thus be turned causing the film strip to unwind to the extent of a single picture.

The guiding of the film and the means for projecting the pictures onto the screen are the same as with ordinary moving pictu're machines-and are accomplished in well known manner through the medium of the 1 gears 40, 41, 42, 4.3, 44., 45 and 46.

The slide 24 mounted in the casing 23 enablesthe adjustment of the motion of the rods 29, 30, 32 with very great precision and, therefore, affords an almost faultless functioning of the machine and an uninterrupted accurate display of the pictures.

The pawl of the upper arm of the lever 14 looks the disk 10 against rotation at the feeding of the film in one direction, while at the feeding in the opposite direction owing to the passing off of the lower arm of the lever 14 from the cam, the upper arm releases the disk 10. t

The correct adjustment of the film pictures which might be displaced in their ele vation is accomplished by the following mechanism.

The slide or plate 6 is movably mounted behind the gears 10, 11, 47 and 48 between lateral bars 5-, 5. Connected to said plate 6 is a rack 4 which laterally meshes with a pinion 3 journalled in the plate 1. This pinion can be rotated at will in both directions by means of a small hand wheel 55 (Fig. 2). If the film pictures are not in the focal center of the lens a mere turn of the handwheel 55 will cause the pinion 3 to feed the rack 4 upwardly or downwardly thereby lifting or lowering the feeding mechanism including shaft 53, disk 10, ring 11 and parts 47 and 48 together with the film drum 54 in the slot 13 of the plate 1. In this manner the film pictures can be adjusted by hand during the display without any disturbance and always rapidly and accurately.

In the construction shown in Figs. 10 to the means for the transmission of movement of motion to the member 17 which engages the pin 18 is modified as follows:

The member 17 is provided with two sitperposed projections or ears 57 between which a center piece 62 is provided. Arms 56 are rotatively borne between said projections 57 and the center piece 62 by a pin 63. The opposite ends of said arms are pivoted at 59 in arms 61 of a forked stationary bracket 55 (Fig. 10). The pin 63 is fixed in the ears 57 and also in the center piece 62, while it is loose in the arms 56. The pivot 28 of the rod 29 is arranged on the center piece 62, so that the eccentric movement of the push rod 29 is transmitted tothe projections 57 and thence to the feeding member 17 through the medium of the member 62. In other respects the feeding of the pictures by means of the pin 18 is the same as before. and the construction of the disk 10, ring 11, rim 47 and disk 48 is the same as before described.

4 The means for transmission of movement to the member 17 is further modified as shown in Figs. 13-15 inclusive.

The member 17 on the left and right is formed with projections 68. Fixed to the plate 1 at an elevation above the member 17 is a cross bracket 65, 66 to the ends of which are connected by links 69 vertically extending arms 67 the opposite ends of which are connected to the lateral projections 68 of the member 17 by similar links 69.

For the transmission of the eccentric movement of rod 29 to the feeding member 17 the pivot 28 of the rod 29 is applied directly tothis member 17.

In other respects the feeding of the pictures takes place in the same manner and the construction of the other parts is the same as hereinbefore described.

\Vhat we claim is 1. In a film feeding mechanism for a moving picture machine, the combination with a film drum spindle, of an eccentrically reciprocated set of rods, a slide having a socket and operated from said rods, a freely movable member having a pin engaging the socket of said slide, and means between said member and said spindle to couple the same when said pin is moved in a certain direction.

2. In a film feeding mechanism for a moving picture machine the combination with a film drum spindle, of an eccentrically reciprocated set of rods, a pendulously suspended member having a. socket and operatively connected to said rods, a freely movable means having a pin engaging said socket and means between said first named means and said spindle to couple the same when said pin is moved in a certain direction.

3. In a film feeding mechanism of a moving picture machine, the combination with a film drum spindle, of a reciprocating set of rods, a horizontal slide operated through said rods, a freely movable member mounted on said spindle and having a projection adapted to be operatively connected to said slide and means between said member and spindle adapted to couple the same when said slide is moved in a certain direction.

4. In a film feeding mechanism of a moving picture machine, the combination with a film drum spindle, of a reciprocating set of rods, a horizontal slide driven through said rods and having an adjustable stroke and a freely movable member mounted on said spindle and having a projection adapted to be operatively connected to said slide and means between said member and spindle adapted to couple the same when said slide is moved in a certain direction.

Signed at Munich, this 22nd day of No- .MAX D. ORDMANN,

Josnrn T. MOMAHON. 

